Veteran coach Craig Antush is entering his 16th season on theYoungstown State baseball staff.
During his 15 seasons at YSU, Antush has helped develop sixpitchers who were taken in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draftand four others who signed professional contracts. He's also beenon two coaching staffs that have led the program to a HorizonLeague Tournament Championship and an NCAA Regional.
Antush has coached two Horizon League pitchers of the year -Justin Thomas in 2005 and Aaron Swenson in 2008 - and anotherfirst-team all-Horizon League hurler in Phil Klein (2009). BradHennessey was the Mid-Continent Conference Pitcher of the Year inAntush's first season on campus.
Hennessey is the highest draft choice in school history. He wasselected 21st overall by the San Francisco Giants in 2001 and wenton to make his Major League debut for the Giants in 2004.
In 2005, Thomas was selected as the third pick in the fourthround by the Seattle Mariners after being named the Horizon LeaguePitcher of the Year. Thomas has been promoted to the Majors twiceand is currently in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Following the 2010 season, two Penguins pitchers moved on to theprofessional ranks. Eric Marzec, a pitcher from Canton, Ohio, wasselected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 30th round and 909thoverall. Marzec earned two championship rings in the minors,pitching for Helena Brewers and the Brewers affiliate in theArizona League. He was honored by minorleaguebaseball.com as thetop playoff pitcher in the Pioneer League for his performance withHelena. Swenson signed a free agent contract with the BaltimoreOrioles and was promoted to the Class A South Atlantic Leaguemidway through the year.
Swenson earned second-team All-Horizon League honors whileMarzec was recognized as a second-team utility player for the thirdstraight season.
In 2011, Klein was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 30thround. The senior right-hander went 5-5 with a HorizonLeague-high 105 strikeouts in 15 starts. Klein finished his careerwith 258 strikeouts, which ranks him second on the all-time list.The 105 strikeouts are the second-most for a season in schoolhistory, behind only 126 by Hennessey. Klein was a second-teamAll-Horizon League selection for his efforts.
Other Penguins pitchers to be drafted with Antush on staffinclude Mike Abdalla by Kansas City in the 40th round, and MattBrumit in the 44th round by the New York Yankees in 2002.
At the end of 2006, Kevin Libeg signed an undrafted free agentcontract with the Cleveland Indians, and Eric Shaffer signed withthe Evansville Otters of the Frontier League. Corey Ohalek alsosigned with the Florida Marlins at the end of the 2003 season.
Antush has also been active in non-collegiate instruction in hiscareer. He served as pitching coach for the Staunton Braves of theShenandoah Valley Baseball League during the summers of 1999, 2000,2002, and he coached the Wyomissing American Legion squad and thefreshman team at Muhlenberg High School in his hometown of Reading,Pa. In the summer of 1993, Antush coached a team of Athletes InAction in a four-week tour of Alphen, Holland; Czech Republic andMontpellier.
Prior to his arrival at YSU, Antush was the head coach atMarshall University from 1996-98 and served as pitching coach forthe Thundering Herd for five seasons from 1991-1995.
Antush had a notable career as a player at the collegiate levelas a relief pitcher for the University of Alabama. He compiled acareer record of 9-3 and recorded seven saves for the Crimson Tide.His senior season, the Crimson Tide reached the College WorldSeries title game but fell to Texas.
He earned his Bachelors Degree from the University of Alabama in1983 and his Master's Degree in health and physical education atMarshall in 1995.
Antush is a teacher at Hickory High School in Hermitage, Pa.
